Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Schmauk - The Real Question":
I believe Theodore Schmauk is actually touching on a very pertinent issue for today. That is, there are many false teachers and apostates leading the Lutheran Synods today - who claim a subsciption to the Christian Book of Concord but in their teaching and practice they ape the decision theology and new age religions.
As much as an orthodox Lutheran claims a quia subscription to the entire Book of Concord, the orthodox Lutheran will also acknowledge by that very subscription that the BOC is also the Christian Book of Concord because of its faithfulness, by the grace and mercy of God, is for all Christians in Christ's Church and all Lutherans in Christ's Church. If there were such a thing as a Glendite who subscribes to a confession which is completely faithful to Scripture it would then also be completely faithful to the Christian Book of Concord and what it is called would not make a difference. But, if that confession - and certainly they confess in doctrine and practice - is contrary to the Christian Book of Concord - then it is required that they prove their doctrine in as much as it's everyone's responsibility to prove his public teaching and practice.
I'm liking this bold Theodore Schmauk more and more.
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GJ - He is greatly neglected. He did not belong to Walther's cult, so he is ignored by the SynConference. Besides, that is one big book to read. People do not sign onto apostasy because they like to work hard.
ELCA would learn a lot from Schmauk, but he is positively Medieval to them.
I re-read some modern theology books in the last week. They have a completely different spirit. They do not blush when they express their abiding admiration for Karl Barth and like-minded apostates. My Anglican friend from Notre Dame put it this way - "Faith without belief." He pointed out a good book for me to read, Blessed Rage for Order. I was shocked until he said, "That is perfect for Christians with a sentimental attachment to the Bible."
